Paper feeding mechanism for statistical machines



Nov. 3, 1936. R E AL N 2,059,198

PAPER FEEDING MECHANISM FOR STATISTICAL MACHINES Filed July 5, 1934 5Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 3, 1936. R. E. BALDWIN PAPER FEEDING MECHANISM FORSTATISTICAL MACHINES Filed July 5, 1934 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 n' prro/eiwNOV. 3, 1936. R, E Wl 2,059,198

PAPER FEEDING MECHANISM FOR STATISTICAL MAC HINES Filed July 3, 1934 5Sheets-Sheet 3 WIT ESSES INVENTOR RlCHARD EVEREST BALDWIN ATTORNEY Mawiw Nov. 3, 1936. R. E. BALDWIN 2,059,193

PAPER FEEDING MECHANISM FOR STATISTICAL MACHINES Filed July 5, 1954 5Sheets-Sheet 4- INVENTOR RICHARD EVEREST BALDWIN BYQfiM HIS ATT RNEYNov. 3, 1936. R. E. BAYLDVIVIIN 2,059,198

PAPER FEEDING MECHANISM FOR STATISTICAL MACHINES Filed Jul s, 1934 5Sheets-Sheet 5 l a r-! Q g g 1 G gi Q Q I a 3 O a I II II I: INVENTOR gRICHARDEVEREST BALDWIN %%W HIS ATT RNEY Patented Nov. 3, 1936 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE PAPER FEEDING MECHANISM FOR STATISTICAL MACHINESRichard Everest Baldwin,

Thornton Heath, England, assignor to The Accounting and TabulatingCorporation oi don, England Great Britain Limited, Lon- 11 Claims.

This invention relates to paper feeding mechanism for statisticalmachines, tabulating machines, or calculating machines.

According to the present invention paper feeding mechanism for a machinehaving a platen and line spacing mechanism comprises in combinationmeans for rotating the platen a constant amount independently of theline spacing mech anism to eject a sheet, auxiliary paper feeding 10means for feeding paper to the platen and means for operating saidauxiliary feeding means simultaneously with the mechanism for rotatingthe platen to eject a sheet. By this means during the listing of itemson one sheet, the following sheet may be placed in readiness in theauxiliary feeding means, so that when the first sheet is ejected thefollowing sheet is simultaneously fed into printing position in theplaten. This may-occur immediately after the printing operation of thelast line of the outgoing sheet. In this way no time is lost between thecompletion of the listing operation on one sheet and the commencement ofthe listing operation on the next sheet.

Preferably, means is provided for releasing the auxiliary paper feedingmeans after it has fed a sheet and for causing the auxiliary means togrip the sheet just prior to a feeding operation.

For example, the auxiliary feeding means may comprise pairs of feedrolls and means for separating the first pair of feed rolls after afeeding operation, so that a new sheet may be inserted between them andfor bringing the' feed rolls together to grip the paper just before thecommencement of a feeding operation.

The mechanism for actuating the auxiliary feeding means simultaneouslywith the paper ejecting means may be connected to a source of power byactuation of a manually operable control member, such as, a key.

In cases, however, where the machine is adapted to print a totalautomatically, or by operation of a hand control, after listing a seriesof items, or printing a single item, the auxiliary feeding means and thepaper ejecting means may be operated from the total taking or itemprinting mechanism, so as to operate whenever a total or item isprinted.

The sheets on which the machine is intended to print are usuallyprovided with headings, and accordingly each sheet must be inserted inthe machine in such a position that the first line 01 print will appearimmediately below the heading.

In order that this setting of the paper may be carried out by theoperator when inserting a new sheet, the auxiliary feeding means may beprovided with an indicator, past which the sheet may be fed until thelower edge of the heading is opposite the indicator, thereby showingthat the sheet is in the correct position. For example, the 5 machinemay have a table situated above the platen, and at a convenient anglefor placing the sheet, and reading it. The sheet may be held by theoperator against a margin stop on one side, and pushed towards the topof the table, under a guide at each side. A gap may be cut in eachguide, the lower edge of which serves as an indicator to which the loweredge of the heading must be set.

This feature of the invention may also be used in cases where it isdesired to print a further item on a sheet already containing a seriesof items, for example, a ledger sheet. In such a case the sheet will befed in until the last line of figures thereon appears at the lower edgeof the indicator.

The invention may be applied to any machine adapted to add and printitems on sheets of paper, but is particularly intended for use withrecord card controlled tabulating machines, wherein the itemsrepresented by the holes in the cards 'are analyzed and transmitted bothto type members which print them and to accumulators which accumulate atotal of the items.

In the accompanying drawings one construction according to the inventionas applied to a record card controlled tabulating machine is illustrateddiagrammatically by way of example.

The tabulating machine is 01' the kind described in United States PatentNo. 1,245,502 to James Powers and is provided with total takingmechanism of the kind described in U. S. Patent No. 1,661,684 to A.Thomas.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 shows the mechanism in side elevation, 40

Fig. 2 is a side elevation to an enlarged scale of the upper part of themechanism, and

Fig. 3 shows a detail of the driving mechanism.

Fig. 4 is a detail view of the control mechanism shown in the disablingposition.

Fig. 5 is a detail view of the control mechanism shown in the positionto permit sheet ejection on each cycle of the machine.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail of the mechanism for operating theselective paper guide member with the parts in an initial position.

Fig. 7 discloses the same mechanism as Fig. 6 with the paper guide inits alternate position.

Fig. 8 discloses the same mechanism as Fig. 6 u

and shows the parts in position preparatory to returning the guide tothe original position.

Fig. 9 discloses the same mechanism as Fig. 8 and shows the parts inposition after returning the guide to the original position.

Fig. 10 is a detailed vertical view of Fig. 6 partially in cross sectiondisclosing the guide member.

Fig. 11 is a detailed vertical view of Fig. 6.

Fig. 12 discloses the mechanism interconnecting the control lever withthe no card stop mechanism for stopping the machine after each cycle ofthe paper feed.

In the construction illustrated in the drawings the platen I, which isprovided with a line spacing mechanism of usual form (not shown) and isalso provided with driving mechanism which rotates the platenindependently of the line spacing mechanism in order to eject a sheet.

To this end a toothed segment 2 is freely mounted on a shaft I in thetabulator (preferably the shaft IA described in United States Patent No.1,245,502) Secured to this shaft 3 is an arm 4 carrying a hook Iengaging over a pin 8 projecting from .the segment 2. A spring I isattached to the segment at I and to the machine frame at 0, this springtending to turn the segment in a clockwise direction in Fig. 1.

The shaft 2 rocks at each cycle of the tabulator and on itscounter-clockwise stroke takes the segment 2 with it through the agencyof the hook i, the latter being returned on the clockwise stroke of theshaft 3 by means of the spring 1.

The teeth of the segment 2 engage with a gear wheel l0 co-axiallysecured to which is a ratchet wheel ll held in engagement with a secondratchet wheel l2 by means of a spring washer i3 (Fig. 3).

Co-axially secured to the ratchet wheel 12 is a gear wheel I whichdrives the platen spindle I through a further gear wheel It.

By means of this mechanism when the segment 2 is moved in acounter-clockwise direction, the platen is rotated by a predeterminedamount through the ratchets II and I2 and the associated gear wheels. Onthe clockwise stroke of the segment 2 the ratchets slip and the platenremains stationary.

The above described mechanism effects rotation of the platen to elect asheet on which items have already been printed, the extent of rotationimparted to the platen being always the same and sufficient to eject thesheet whatever the number of items which have been printed on it.

In addition auxiliary sheet feeding means is provided to feed the nextsheet into printing position on the platen simultaneously with theejection of the preceding sheet.

This auxiliary feeding mechanism comprises three pairs of feed rolls II,II, i8, and 2|, 22 which are driven through gearing from the segment 2.

These three pairs of feed rolls are disposed along a guide or track forthe sheets leading from a feed table 22 to the platen I. The feed table22 is located in front of the entrance to the first pair of feed rollsII, II from which the sheets pass between guides 2|, 2! to the secondpair of feed rolls i9, 20. From these latter feed rolls the sheets passbetween further guides to the third pair of feed rolls 2|, 22 whencethey travel to the platen I.

The guides through which the sheets pass from the second pair of feedrolls I9, 20 to the third pair 2|, 22 may be similar to the guides 24,25

or they may be constructed as shown in Fig. 2 and hereinafter described.

The feed rolls l1, l8, ll, 20, 2 I, and 22 are driven from the segment 2through gear wheel l4 and further gear wheels 21, 28, and 29.

In order that the operator may easily insert a new sheet, means isprovided for maintaining the first pair of feed rolls I1, I! spacedapart from one another when they are not rotating.

To this end the upper roll i'l (Fig. 2) is carried on a spindle 3|rotatable in bearings at each end in a link similar to 22, pivoted tothe machine frame on a cross shaft 33. The free end of the link 32 shownis pivoted at 34 to one lever 35 of a toggle of which the other lever 36is pivoted to the first at 31 and is secured to a shaft 28 to which isalso secured an arm 38. Pivoted to the arm 39 at 40 is a long link 4|connected at its lower end 42 (Fig: 1) to atriangular plate 42 pivotedto the machine frame at H.

The lower end 43a of the plate 43 projects into the path of a pin 45 andan L-shaped bracket 46 secured to the segment 2. As the segment 2reaches the end of its clockwise stroke, the bracket 46 strikes the end43a of the plate U and rocks it in a counter-clockwise direction,thereby pulling the link 4| downwardly and permitting a spring to lowerthe feed rollil into engagement with the roll I8.

The segment 2 then returns in the counterclockwise direction duringwhich it rotates the platen l and feed rolls l1, l8, I9, 20, 2|, and 22through the gears Iii, ll, 21, 28, 29, and the ratchets ii and I2 toeject one sheet from the platen and to feed the following sheet into theplaten.

At the end of the counter-clockwise stroke of the segment 2 the pin llstrikes the end 4311 of the plate 43 and rocks it in a clockwisedirection thereby pushing the link ll upwardly and separating the feedrolls IT, IS to enable a new sheet to be inserted.

If desired the second pair of feed rolls i9, 20 may be made to separatein like manner, and are shown in Fig. 2 constructed so to operate.

As shown in 'Fig. 2 the roll I! is mounted on a spindle 41 Journaled ateach end in an arm I, pivoted on a cross shaft 49. The arm 48 ispivotally secured at 50 to a lever Iii of a toggle of which the otherlever 52 is pivoted to the first at 53 and is secured to the shaft 38 sothat the toggle 5|, 52 is operated simultaneously with the toggle 35, 36from the segment 2 through the triangular plate l3 and long link II. Bythis means the rolls ll, l8 and I9, 20 are made to open and closesimultaneously.

The sheets on which the machine is intended to print are usuallyprovided with headings, and accordingly each sheet must be inserted inthe feeding mechanism in such a position that the first line of printwill appear immediately below the heading.

In order to ensure correct placing of the sheet thereon the feed table22 is provided with a marginal stop 54 and each of the guides 24, ofwhich there is a plurality, as shown in Fig. 2, is provided with a slotor window 55.

If the sheet has had no previous items printed thereon it is pushed upthe feed table by hand until the lower edge of the heading is visiblethrough the windows 55. On the other hand, if the sheet already containsitems it is placed on the feed table so that the last line of printingis visible through the windows ll.

The position of these windows with respect to the platen is such that atthe end of a feeding stroke the sheet will be in a position such thatthe printing line is immediately below the line which was visiblethrough the windows 55 when the sheet was on the feed table 23.

The operation of the mechanism will now be described.

Assuming that the parts are in the positions shown in Fig. 1 and thatthere is no sheet in the platen, the shaft 3 rocks at each cycle of thetabulator and when this shaft rocks anti-clockwise from the positionshown in Fig. 1 the segment 2 is also positively moved anti-clockwise bymeans of the hook 5 and pin 6. This movement of the segment 2 rotatesthe platen through the gear wheel l0, ratchets l2 and I3 and gear wheelsl4 and IS. The feed rolls I1, l8, I9, 20, 2|, and 22 are also rotatedthrough the gears 21, 28, and 29 driven from the gear I 5. Towards theend of the anti-clockwise movement of the segment the pin 45 thereonstrikes the end 43a of the plate 43 and rocks it in a clockwisedirection thereby opening the feed rolls ll, l8, and i9, 20 through theagency of the link 4| and toggles 35, 36, and 5!, 52.

The shaft 3 then rocks in a clockwise direction (Fig. 1) and the segment2 follows this movement under the action of the spring 1. During thismovement of the segment 2 the platen i remains stationary since theratchets II and I2 slip. Also the feed rolls ll, l8 and i9, 20 remainseparated.

While the segment is thus moving in a clockwise direction the operatorpushes a sheet up the feed table 23 between the feed rolls i1, I8, nowopen, to the desired position as determined by the line ofprintappearing through the windows 55.

Towards the end of the clockwise movement of the segment 2 the bracket45 thereon strikes the end 43a of the plate 43 and rocks it in ananticlockwise direction, thereby bringing the feed rolls IT, l8 and I 9,20 together, with the sheet between them.

During the next anti-clockwise movement of the segment 2 the platen land auxiliary feed rolls "-22 are actuated and feed the sheet intoprinting position in the platen.

The feed rolls 2i and 22 are so positioned that the head of the paper isin the printing position on the platen before the end of the sheetleaves the feed rolls. A guide 90a is provided which insures that thepaper will be conducted directly from the feed rolls to the platen.

The segment 2 then again rocks in a clockwise direction during whichtime the printing operation is effected on the sheet which is in theplaten by means of the normal printing mechanism of the tabulator (notshown).

While this printing operation is taking place the operator places thenext sheet in position between the feed rolls. and during the nextanticlockwise stroke of the segment 2 the sheet which was in the platenis ejected and simultaneously the following sheet, already placed inposition in the feed rolls, is fed into printing position in the platen.

In the foregoing description the segment 2 rocks at each cycle of thetabulator so that a sheet is ejected and a new sheet fed in at eachcycle. With this arrangement only one item is printed on each sheet andalthough in some cases only one item is required to be printed it isalso necessary to provide means whereby a sheet is retained on theplaten during the printing of a number of items and if desired theirtotal.

To this end a stop arm 60 is provided which can be set so as to engage apin 5| on the segment 2 when the latter reaches the end of itsanti-clockwise stroke.

This stop arm 50 is notched and is pivoted at B2 to a bracket 63 securedto the machine frame and has a downward extension 84 carrying a pin 65engaging in a notch 56 formed on an arm 61 pivoted at 68 to the lowerend of a lever 69 pivoted at 10 to an arm H secured to a shaft 12 in themachine which is stationary during adding cycles of the machine, butrocks on a total cycle. (This shaft 12 is known as the front total shaftof the tabulator).

Pivoted at 13 to a bracket 14 is a manually operable control lever 15having an upward arm 16 pivoted to the lever 69 by a pin 11. This pin 11is free to slide in a slot 18 in the upward arm 16 of the control leverand the lever 69 is also free to move longitudinally by reason of theslot 69a in its upper end. The pin 11 can engage with one or the otherof three notches 19 in the upper edge of the bracket 14 whereby thecontrol lever I5 is held in the position to which it has been set.

In Fig. 1 the parts are shown in the position which they occupy when thecontrol lever 15 is set to cause operation of the feed mechanism ontotal cycles only and the front total shaft has rocked to remove thestop arm 60 from the path of the pin 6| on the segment 2.

In order to make the auxiliary feed rolls operate in the mannerdescribed above at each cycle of the tabulator whereby a sheet isejected and a new one fed in each time an item is printed the controllever 15 is operated to its lowest position as shown in Figure 5. Atthis time the total shaft 12 is stationary and thereforethe upper end ofthe arm 16 of the lever 15 pulls the lever 69 in an anti-clockwisedirection about the pivot I0 whereby the notched arm 61 is moved over tothe right in Figure 1, and in so doing rotates arm 60 anti-clockwisethereby removing it from the path of pin 6 I. If at the time that theoperator moves the lever 15 to the item printing position the segment 2was held by arm 8|] (disabled position) the movement of notched arm 61to the right will cause it to ride up over the pin 65 thereby stretchinga spring 80 connected at one end to the pin 65 and at the other end to apin 8! on the notched arm 61. The parts are held in this position by thepin 11 engaging in the right-hand notch 19. The length of the arm 60 issuch that it holds the segment 2 not in its extreme position. butslightly away from it so that with the parts in the position justdescribed when the shaft again rocks in an anti-clockwise direction, thehook 5 towards the end of the stroke will pull the segment 2 to theextreme limit of travel, thereby relieving the arm 60 of the load due tothe spring I. The spring 80 then rocks the lower end 64 of the arm 60 inan anti-clockwise direction, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4, wherebythe arm 60 is removed from the path of the pin 6!. A stop 82 attached tothe bracket 63 limits this movement of the extension 64 of the arm 80.The arm 60 is now entirely out of the path of the pin 5| so that at eachcycle of the machine the segment 2 can rock and thereby eject a sheet onevery cycle of the tabulator.

If it is desired to make the sheet feeding mechanism operate only on atotal cycle, the lever 15 is moved to the middle position as shown inFig. 1.

After the first adding cycle the stop 60 remains in engagement with thepin 6| since by that its lower end pulls the notched arm 01 over to theright in Fig. 1 whereby the stop is removed from the path of the pin IIas described above.

It is to be understood that the normal paper feed mechanism is operativeduring the printing.

of the items preceding the total cycle which will cause the presentdevice to eject the sheet. This is permitted by the ratchet drivemechanism II and I2.

In order to put the feeding mechanism entirely out of operation thecontrol lever ll is moved upwardly to the position shown. in Fig. 4.This motion pushes the notched arm 01 over to the left whereby the stoparm 00 is moved into the path of the pin 0i and remains there. After thefirst cycle the segment 2 is held at its extreme counterclockwiseposition.

In the case of the mechanism described above reference was made toguides .24 and 20 between which the sheets pass from the feed rolls I'I,I0 to the feed rolls I0, 20 and it was stated that similar guides couldbe provided to conduct sheets from the feed rolls I9, 20 to the thirdpair of feed rolls 2i, 22. In such a case, however, the total length ofthe path from the feed rolls l1, l0 to the platen must be equal toapproximately twice the length of a sheet.

According to a further. feature of the invention means may be providedfor causing sheets to overlap in the guides, that is to say when onesheet is in the platen, the next one can be inserted in the feed rollsto such an extent as to lie underneath or on top of part of the sheetalready in the platen whereby the length of path between the first pairof feed rolls and the platen can be materially reduced.

To this end alternative paths are provided for conveying the sheet fromthe feed rolls I0, 20 to the feed rolls 2I, 22. These paths are formedby providing a. central guide (Fig. 2) and two outer guides 80 and 01.At the upper end 00 of the central guide 00 is pivoted a flap 00, theposition of which determines the path of the sheet. Adjacent the thirdpair of feed rolls 2|, 22, the two paths formed by these guides convergeinto a single path 90 so that only one sheet at a time enters theplaten. The flap 8! is operated by an arm BI secured to the toggleactuating shaft 20 already described. To this arm 9| is pivoted at 92 alink 02 having two abutments 04 and 05 at its free end. The link 02passes between two long pins 08 and 01 projecting from lever 08a pivotedat 90 to the frame 20 and are connected at their outer ends by a plate80 (Figs. 4 and 9) The assembly comprising the lever 00a, pins 00, 01and plate 90 is pulled in an anti-clockwise direction by a spring I00connected at one end to a pin' I004 on the lever 00a and at the otherend to a pin I00b on the frame.

With the parts in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 when the shaft 00rocks in a clockwise direction, the link 00 is pushed upwardly and itsfree and between the abutments l4 and 05 engages with a pin IOI on atriangular plate I02, pivoted at I00 to the frame 20. This position ofthe parts is shown in Fig. 6. Further upward movement of the link 02turns the plate I" in clockwise direction about its pivot I 03 Into thposition of Fig. 7. During 6100b?!" ment of the plate I 02 the pin IOItherein chil -8 the abutment 04 and turns the link 02 counterclockwisethereby bringing the other abutment clear of a second pin I05 on theplate I 02 (Fig. 7 position), the purpose of which will be describedater.

As the link 92 turns thus counter-clockwise. it causes rotation of thelever Its about pivot 00 against the action of spring I00. The plate I02is connected by a spring I04 to the flap 00. when the plate I02 isrocked by the upward movementof link 00 over from the position shown inFigs. 1 and 2 to the other side of the pivot 00 of the flap, (Fig. 7position) the latter rocks over to its other position (shown in Fig. 'I)under the action of the spring I04 whereby the next sheet will be guidedto pass between the guides 05 and When the shaft 00 rocks in acounter-clockwise direction the link 90 is pulled downwardly and as soonas the abutment 94 has moved clear of the pin IOI the spring I00 actingon the lever 00a returns the link 8! to its mid position. The link 02and assembly 96, 91, 90, 90a are now in the position shown in Figs. 1and 2 while the plate g2 and flap 08 remain in the position shown in Onthe next clockwise movement of the s 28 the link 02 is pushed upwardly,but since fl plate I02 is in the Fig.7 position the end of the link 90between the abutments 94 and 05 engages with the pin I05 in the plateI02 (Fig. 8 position) and rocks the latter in a counter-clockwisedirection to the position shown in Fig. 9. During movement of the plateI02 from the position shown in Fig. 8 to that of Fig. 9 the pin I05engases with the abutment 00 and turns the link 93 aside in a clockwisedirection thereby bringing the abutment 94 clear of the pin IIII.

In spite of the provision of two guides to permit the overlapping ofsheets fed into the machine, it is obvious that, when the feedingmechanism is set to operate on each cycle the operator would havedifilculty keeping pace with the machine to insert a new sheet unlessthe machine is automatically stopped after a single item has beenprinted and the sheet ejected.

In order to permit the operator time to insert a new sheet means may beprovided for stopping the machine automatically after each cycle whenthe lever I5 is set in its lowermost or single cycle position as shownin Fig. 5. After the machine has stopped and the sheet inserted it maybe restarted at will by the operation of a starting button.

In normal operation the tabulator is sto after all the cards have passedby the 101103;: well known mechanism disclosed and described in the U.S. patent to A. Thomas 1,938,228. A pin descends on each card in turnduring the sensing operation. If there is no card in the pin box thispin IIO (Fig. 12) descends lower than if a card were there and, as itdoes so, pushes downward one end of a hooked lever I I I, whereby thehook H2 is raised clear of the end of a bell crank II3 having a hook IIIformed thereon. The bell crank I I2 is pivoted on plate I20 which issecured to an eccentric strap arm iii. The bell crank H3 is held inupright position on plate I30 by a spring I32 and a pin III in the bellcrank which bears against the plate I20. In this position the hook Illis adapted to engage a projection III on a push rod' 1. Rotation ofeccentric II! causes the hook Ill to cooperate with projection I I8drawing the push rod I I! to the right whereby a clutch (not shown)transmitting the drive of the tabulator is disengaged, thereby stoppingthe tabulator.

In order that this mechanism may be used to stop the machine at eachcycle when the control lever II is set to cause operation of the saidfeeding mechanism on each cycle, the control lever I5 controls thehooked lever III through a linkage comprising links H8, H9, I20 and I2Iso that when the control lever I5 is moved the link I2I follows due tothe spring I22.

The spring I22 tends to rotate the plate II9 counterclockwise about itspivot thereby forcing links I20 and I2I upward and drawing link I I8 tothe right. When lever I5 is positioned in either its uppermost ormidposition the links I20 and I2I follow. As the link H8 is drawn to theright the plate I34 which is freely pivoted on both the link and hooklever Iii is rotated counterclockwise about its pivot in lever iIIrotating the lever counterclockwise thereby lowering lug I I2 into thepath of the latch on bell crank H3. -When the arm I3I with the plate I38is moved to the right, the bell crank H3 is held at its upper edge bylug H2 and is rotated clockwise raising hook II4 out of the path of lugi I64 If, however, the lever 15 is positioned in the lowermost or singlecycle position the links I20 and I2I are forced down moving link IIU tothe left thereby bringing the lug I35 on plate I34 into engagement withthe lever III rotating it in a clockwise direction to raise the lug I I2out of the path of the bell crank H3. When the arm I3! is then drawntothe right by cam Hi the hook II4 engages the lug H6 and moves the rodII! to the right stopping the machine. The machine may then be restartedat will by the operation of the start key.

In order that the tabulator may be available for all its ordinaryfunctions, the sheet feeding mechanism according to the invention ispreferably constructed in the formof a detachable unit. To this end theframe or casing 26 of the sheet feeding mechanism is provided with a pinI25 on each side near the top and at the back, there being also twoslots l26 cut in the lower end of casing 26. The mechanism is attachedto the tabulator by lowering the two pins I25 in the slots out inbracket IZI secured to the main frame of the tabulator, the sheetfeeding unit being then swung about these pins until the slots I 26 inthe casing 26 of the sheet feeding mechanism engage and pass overcorresponding screwthreaded studs I28 mounted in the tabulator frame.The unit is then secured by means of nuts I23 screwed on to these studs.

The feed table 23 above referred to is provided with a marginal stop 54and preferably this stop 54 is adjustable laterally. To this end thestop may be in the form of a bar and provided with two pins which enterslots in the feed table.

In order to enable the stop bar to be readily removed, one of the pinswhich it carries is provided with an elongated head parallel with thebar. The other pin is screw threaded and provided with a nut. To removethe bar the nut is unscrewed and removed and the bar swung round aboutthe other pin until the elongated head registers with an inclined slot.The bar is then lifted clear and can be placed in another slot ifdesired.

It is to be understood that the drawings disclose only one embodiment ofthe device which may be varied widely without departing from theoriginal conception.

What I claim is:-

i. In sheet feeding mechanism for a statistical machine having a platenand line spacing mechanism therefor, the combination of means forrotating the platen to a constant extent independently of the linespacing mechanism to eject a sheet from the platen. auxiliary sheetfeeding means having sheet gripping members disposed to feed a sheet tothe platen, means for operating said auxiliary sheet feeding meanssimultaneously with the means for rotating the platen independently ofthe line spacing mechanism, means for releasing said sheet grippingmeans after a feeding operation to permit insertion of a new sheet andmeans for causing said auxiliary feeding c'riieans to grip the sheetprior to a feeding opera- 2. In sheet feeding mechanism for astatistical machine having a platen and line spacing mechanism therefor,the combination of means for rtating the platen to a constant extentindependently of the line spacing mechanism to eject a sheet from theplaten, auxiliary feed rolls disposed to feed a sheet to the platen,means for rotating said auxiliary feed rolls simultaneously with therotation of the platen to eject a sheet, means for opening saidauxiliary feed rolls at the end of a feeding operation to permit theinsertion of a new sheet therebetween, and means for moving saidauxiliary feed rolls into engagement prior to a feeding operation.

3. In sheet feeding mechanism for a statistical machine having a platenand line spacing mechanism therefor, the combination of auxiliary feedrolls disposed to feed a sheet to the platen, a rocking driving member,a connection between said driving member and the platen and theauxiliary feed rolls, operative in one direction of movement of saiddriving member only, whereby the platen is rotated to a constant extentindependently of the line spacing mechanism to eject one sheet duringeach movement of said driving member in one direction and the auxiliaryfeed rolls are simultaneously rotated to feed the following sheet to theplaten, means for opening and closing said auxiliary feed rolls, aprojection on said rocking driving member adapted to engage said openingand closing means at the end of each operative stroke of the drivingmember to effect opening of the auxiliary feed rolls and a secondprojection on the driving member adapted to engage the opening andclosing means at the end of the idle stroke of the driving member toeffect closing of the auxiliary feed rolls.

4. Sheet feeding mechanism according to claim 3 wherein the auxiliaryfeed roll opening and closing means comprises arms pivoted to themachine frame and carrying one feed roll of a pair, a toggle having theouter end of one of its levers pivoted to one of said arms and the outerend of its other lever pivoted to the machine frame, a transmission armpivoted to the machine frame with its free end disposed in the path ofthe projections on the rocking driving member, and a link connecting thetransmimion arm to one of the toggle levers.

5. The combination with sheet feedingmechanismaccordingtoclaimlofguidesservingtodirectthesheets fromtheauxiliaryfeedingmeans to the platen, said guides having a gap formedtherein in a position distant from the platen byanamountequaltothefeedeifectedbythe auxiliary feeding means less oneline space, whereby by inserting a partially filled sheet in theauxiliary feeding means until the last line of print on said sheetappears through the gap in the guides, the auxiliary feeding means feedsthe sheet to a position in which the next printing operation is effectedimmediately below the last line of print previously appearing on thesheet. 6. In a calculating machine having a platen. line spacingmechanism therefor, and printing mechanism, the combination of means forrotating the platen to a constant extent independently of the linespacing mechanism to elect a sheet from the platen. auxiliary sheetfeeding means disposed to feed a sheet to the platen means for operatingsaid auxiliary sheet feeding means simultaneously with the means forrotating the platen independently of the line spacing mechanism, andmeans settable manually to render the sheet feeding mechanism operativeat each cycle of the calculating machine, or at a total printing cycleonly or to render the mechanism inoperative.

7. In sheet feeding mechanism for a statistical machine having a platenand line spacing mechanism therefor the combination of means forrotating the platen to a constant extent independently of the linespacing mechanism to elect a sheet from the platen, auxiliary sheetfeeding means disposed to feed a sheet to the platen, means foroperating said auxiliary sheet feeding means simultaneously with themeans for rotating the platen independently of the line spacingmechanism, and means causing the sheets to pass through the auxiliaryfeeding means to the platen along one or other of two paths alternatelyso that one sheet may be overlapped by the following sheet while in theauxiliary feeding means whereby the length of the feed path is reduced.

8. Sheet feeding mechanism according to claim 2 including means causingthe sheets to pass through the auxiliary feeding means to the platenalong one or other of two paths alternately so that one sheet may beoverlapped by the following sheet while in the auxiliary feeding meanswhereby the length of the feed path is reduced. 9. In sheet feedingmechanism for a statistical machine having a platen and line spacingmechanism therefor, the combination of auxiliary sheet feeding meansdisposed to feed a sheet to the platen. an arcuate rocking drivingmember, and a connection between said driving member and the platen andthe auxiliary sheet feeding means, operative in one direction ofmovement of said driving member only, a'printing mechanism including astop member for said driving member, actuating means displaceable tomove said stop member into the path of said driving member to preventmovement thereof, a manual control, an operative connection between saidcontrol member and said actuating means and a connection between thetotal printing mechanism and said actuating means, all so arranged thatsetting said manual control member in one position moves the stop intoengagement with said driving member, while setting the manual controlmember into asecond position removes said stop member from engagementwith said driving member, and setting the control member to a thirdpositionmoves the stop into engagement with said driving member andplaces said stop under the control of the total printing mechanism toeil'ect removal thereof on a total printlng cycle only.

10. In sheet feeding mechanism for a statistical machine having a platenand line spacing mechanism therefor, the combination of auxiliary sheetfeeding means disposed to feed a sheet to the platen, an arcuate rockingdriving member, and a connection between said driving member and theplaten and the auxiliary sheet feeding means, a guide channel for saidsheets diverging into two channels within the auxiliary feedingmechanism and converging again into a single channel prior toapproaching the platen, a shutter dispersed at the point of divergenceof the channel and an operative connection between said shutter and saiddriving member arranged to operate the shutter to close one channel andopen the other alternately during the idle stroke of said driving membersubstantially as described.

11. In a calculating machine having a platen, line spacing mechanismtherefor, and printing mechanism, the combination of means for rotatingthe platen to a constant extent independently oi the line spacingmechanism to eject a sheet from the platen, auxiliary sheet feedingmeans disposed to feed a sheet to the platen, a manually operatedsettable means, means for operating said auxiliary sheet feeding meanssimultaneously with the means for rotating the platen independently ofsaid line spacing mechanism, and means under control of said settablemeans for stopping the machine at the end of each cycle to permit theintroduction of a new sheet.

' RICHARD EVEREST BALDWIN.

